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We’re Looking for the Top Chef, America’s Next Top Model, So You Think You Can Dance Winner of Libraries!

Posted by Erin on 02.09.2012 at 9:59 am

That’s right folks, our 2nd Annual LEAP for Libraries Grant Application is NOW OPEN and we’re searching for today’s library program game-changers.

What is LEAP?
LEAP stands for Literacy and Education in Action Program. A portion of every book purchased on BetterWorldBooks.com supports literacy and education around the world. We use LEAP as a way to support libraries and literacy non-profits through grants.

Who Won the LEAP for Libraries Grant Last Year?
Approximately 3.5 million dollars worth of grant requests and almost 240 applications were reviewed by the Better World Books Literacy and Library Council in 2011. While there were countless worthy projects, six emerged as the winning grant recipients. You can find their winning grant stories at www.betterworldbooks.com/librarygrants.

What Grants are Available This Year for Libraries?
This year, $30,000 in funding is available; maximum grant amount per project is $15,000.

How Do We Win?

Projects should address the literacy needs of underserved populations in their community. Literacy needs are defined by broadly identifying, understanding, interpreting, creating, communicating, and computing information to live a more fulfilling and productive life.
Libraries may pitch only one project each, with a maximum award of $15,000. Please be sure to clearly outline the project elements that require the requested funds.
Projects that involve partnerships with local government agencies are highly encouraged.
Projects that will have a measurable and long term impact on an underserved population and will continue to operate after grant funds have been utilized will be looked upon favorably.
Better World Books looks forward to reviewing applications that bring a fresh and inspired approach to challenging issues.

When is the Deadline?
February 6th – Applications open.
April 9th – Applications due.
April 10-May 30 – Selection period.
May 31 – Winner announced!
June 2012 – Donations dispersed.

I’m Sold! How Do We Apply?
Go to www.betterworldbooks.com/librarygrants for more information and to download the application..

Please share this opportunity with all remarkable library partners and friends you know!

Have your say » | Tagged Company News, Contests, Impact, In the News, LEAP

Ads Worth Spreading

Posted by Erin on 01.09.2012 at 9:56 am

TED, a non-profit dedicated to sharing innovative and thoughtful ideas around the world, has launched an “Ads Worth Spreading” campaign which they describe as an “initiative to recognize and reward innovation, ingenuity and intelligence in advertising – the ads that people want to see, and share with their friends.

We have just thing for this campaign! Recently, we have created a series of short films which highlight the impact that folks like you make every time you donate books or shop with Better World Books. We’ve entered six videos into the contest and would love for you to view and vote for them to be shown at the TED conferences this year.The videos

A homeless 9th grader who got his first book through the BWB/Feed The Children teacher store tells his story. The spot ties buying and donating to impact like Zachariah’s story.

2:40 – http://www.youtube.com/tedaws?x=us_showcasephase2_8324_27

60 seconds – http://www.youtube.com/tedaws?x=us_showcasephase2_8327_27

From the age of 5, Agnes had to sleep in the Ugandan jungle to hide from rebel soldiers. Today, she is a proud university graduate thanks to BWB and Invisible Children.

Have your say » | Tagged Company News, Contests, Impact, LEAP, Video Impact Story

Book Wish Essay Contest

Posted by Erin on 12.08.2011 at 9:15 am

Calling all writers, here’s a chance to have a renowned writer or literary agent critique your work!

We are honored to carry many of the meaningful titles we stock at Better World Books and one of those that means the most to us is What You Wish For, a special book full of a collection of the world’s best-selling and honored writers for young adults and children. The authors share stories and poems that captivate, inspire, and offer hope about things we all wish for. Together with Darfur advocate and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow, who wrote the book’s moving Foreword, they contributed to this amazing collection for free so that the proceeds could be used to fund libraries in Darfuri refugee camps in Chad.

Read more…

Have your say » | Tagged Contests, From our Friends, Impact, Our Partners

Textbooks for Tots

Posted by Erin on 12.07.2011 at 9:23 am

We’ve all heard of Toys for Tots, but what about those old textbooks that you don’t ever want to see again? Is there a way they, too, can help children in need worldwide learn to read?

This holiday season we’re giving you the chance to create abundance with your unwanted textbooks!

Have your say » | Tagged Company News, Contests, holidays, Impact

Dear Students, Put Us to Work!

Posted by Erin on 11.11.2011 at 4:00 pm

Dear stellar students, the following is an exciting update from your campus reps at BWB.

We want you to put us to work at the warehouse of our partner, Books for Africa, so we can provide some much needed (wo)manpower in support of their efforts to end the book famine in Africa.

Now that Halloween is over, it feels like the remaining holidays for 2011 are rushing in to take its place. On November 1st I heard Christmas music playing in a sandwich shop and it seems like there are even more commercials on TV reminding you to go out and shop, shop, shop. As we still have some breathing room before the holidays arrive, it’s important to take a moment to stop and reflect on what we can all do to help others in need.

The Better World Books On Campus Team has definitely been thinking about this and we want to let you know about our November service project. (Read carefully because you play a very important part in the plan!)

2 Comments » | Tagged Company News, Contests, From our Friends, holidays, Impact, Our Partners, Social Enterprise

Helping College Campuses Go Green

Posted by Erin on 10.10.2011 at 2:27 pm

More than 1,800 college and university campuses have already committed to partnering with Better World Books this year in our no cost book reuse/recycling programs for libraries, bookstores, recyclers and student groups.

1 Comment » | Tagged Africa 2010, Company News, Contests, Impact, Literacy Trips, South America 2011

Create the next BWB tee shirt!

Posted by Erin on 08.22.2011 at 2:44 pm

Better World Books: 2011 Tee Shirt Design Contest Official Rules

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions apply. One winner per household. You need not be present to win.

The contest: We just launched a brand new commitment to making this a better world. BOOK FOR BOOK. In honor of this, we need a new tee shirt. (Check out our current tee shirts here).

We ♥ our fans as much as we ♥ books and want you to wear your BWB tee shirt with pride. What better way to adore a tee shirt than to design it yourself?

You have until Wednesday, August 31 to submit your tee shirt ideas on this event. You can either upload a photo of your t-shirt design or just comment with your tee shirt slogan idea.

On Monday, Sept 12 we will announce the top 5 tee shirt choices.

Having your friends vote for your design/slogan with likes will help us pick the top 5.

Voting will begin on the 12th and last until noon (ET) on Wednesday, Sept 28 and at 1pm (ET) we will announce the next tee shirt for Better World Books!

Read more…

7 Comments » | Tagged Company News, Contests

Libraries & Families Award: Apply Now!

Posted by John on 06.25.2010 at 12:04 pm

Applications being accepted for $30,000 in library grants

Better World Books and the National Center for Family Literacy are teaming up again this year to provide grants for libraries with exceptional family programming.

Applications are now being accepted for the Better World Books/NCFL Libraries and Families Award. You can get more information and apply at online at http://www.famlit.org/BWB-library-award. Applications are due by Nov. 12, 2010.

NCFL anticipates awarding three $10,000 grant awards– one in each of the following three categories:

1) Local Friends of the Library programs
2) Public/academic libraries
3) Urban libraries

In addition, award recipients will receive scholarships to attend the National Conference on Family Literacy.

Last year’s winners are doing amazing things! Learn more about them here!

This will be the second year of the award and the latest partnership effort between our organizations, which together have raised more than $555,000 for NCFL’s programming since 2005.

Have your say » | Tagged Company News, Contests, Impact, Our Partners, Libraries and Families Award, National Center for Family Literacy, NCFL

Want Free Books for a Year?

Posted by Dana on 06.22.2010 at 3:32 pm

Update 7/8/2010: The 2010 contest is over. Congrats to this years’ winners!

GRAND PRIZE WINNERS:
Lynne G from South Bend, IN (Facebook) and @ilanastein from Johannesburg, South Africa (Twitter)

SECOND PRIZE WINNERS:
From Twitter: @sweepscat713 – San Jose, CA, @akritical – Charlottesville, VA, @canaryred – Baltimore, MD, @synical – Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, @dianadoll – Coarsegold, CA, @kkhoulden – Oak Ridge, NC, @jseniar – Enfield, NH, @rikostan – Rose, NY, @cmizerski – St. Clair Shores, MI.

And From Facebook: Desiy L. – Burnaby, Canada, Lydia S. – Jacksonville, FL, Jessica K. – Chantily, VA, Holly C. – Effort, PA, Meghan M. – Fridley, MN, Paulina A. – Bali, Indonesia, Kristen L. – Sanford, FL, Kimm G. – Ontario, Canada, Naga C. – Bangalore, India.

It’s back… the Better World Books “Year of Books” contest is back and better than ever!

How is it better, you ask?

1. Well first of all it starts today, whereas last year’s contest Year of Books is over.

2. This year there will be 2 grand prize winners compared with only 1 lonely winner last year. That’s twice the winners! These lucky ducks will not only get a year of books, but they will also get a snazzy Better World Books t-shirt AND a fabulous Better World Books tote bag.

3. But wait, there’s more… last year we had 9 second place winners… this year we’re doubling the fun and giving a whopping 18 second prizes which consist of one $10 Better World Books gift certificate, the snazzy BWB shirt and the fab BWB tote.

“Enough,” you may say, “I’m in. Now how the heck do I enter?” Well this year we’re all about more. Last year there was only one way to enter… this year there are two:

1. Follow Better World Books on Twitter and then click this link or copy and paste the following message to your Twitter followers to enter: “I just entered the @BWBooks ‘Year of Books’ Contest. I can win a year’s supply of books! (http://bit.ly/bwbyearofbooks) #bwbcontest”

2. Like Better World Books on Facebook and enter the Year of Books Sweepstakes. Fill out the required form and share the contest entry with your friends with the following message: “I just entered the Better World Books ‘Year of Books’ Contest. I can win a year’s supply of books!” And guess what, for every friend you tell on Facebook that enters, you get an extra entry.

Have questions? Need more info? Check out our FAQ and the Terms & Conditions.

What are you still doing here? Go enter. The contest starts today – but you only have until the end of June to enter!

Good luck! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this is your lucky year! Okay go… go already!

Lynne G – South Bend, IN

66 Comments » | Tagged Contests, bwbcontest, facebook, twitter, year of books

For the Love of Reading

Posted by admin on 02.11.2010 at 1:39 pm

In today’s post, David Murphy talks about his recent experience reading to kids as part of the Ferst Foundation’s CEO Challenge: For the Love of Reading. The challenge was for Georgia business and community leaders to take time out of their busy schedules to read to kids. The idea behind the challenge is to highlight the importance of childhood literacy. Check out what David had to say about the experience and don’t forget to vote!

**UPDATE – FEBRUARY 19TH, 2010 – PLEASE NOTE – VOTING HAS ENDED**

davidmurphy I get asked a lot of questions about our mission, our business model and our industry, so it was certainly refreshing on a cold, crisp morning this past January to have someone ask “Why literacy for children? Why focus our literacy efforts on them? Why do you value reading and literacy efforts for children?” You can hear some of my thoughts on this in a video that was recently produced to help support childhood literacy efforts here in the state of Georgia.

That day, I joined a group of Georgia based CEO’s and university presidents in a friendly competition to draw attention to childhood literacy efforts and had a great experience. I went to Premier Academy where I met with Gladys Gore, her staff and about twenty or so four year-olds for whom I had the pleasure of reading several books. Read more…